The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-24
DIR. MGLYNN AND THE POPE
The Deposed Priest Will Not Obey the
Pontiff's Order to Appear at Rome,
''Name"-Some of the Penalties Which
that Punishment Carries with It.


May last. letter was received by Archbishop
Corrigan. addressed to the Rev. Father McGlynn
and duly transmitted to him on the 22d, which
had been prepared by the propaganda by order
of the Pope. This letter, after referring to DR..
McGlynn's disobedience to his diocesan superior
and his failure to obey the order of Jan. IL sum-
moning him to Rome, declared that this contu-
macy was sufficient reason in itself for inhict-
ing the usual canonical penalty The propa-
ganda, however, added that wishing to deal
with the priest kindly. it would give him one
more opportunity to consider his course. He
was, therefore, summoned once for all to appear
at Rome within forty days after the deliverance
of the document into his hands. If he failed to
obey this final injunction he would incur the
penalty of accommodation ipso facto-that is
TO say, by the mere fact Of his noteoing. and ex-
communication in such case will be pronounced
by nomination or by naming him.
While il has been generally believed that DIR.
McGlynn would dsobey this final order, the fact
is now made certain. By the terms of the order
he was to appear in Rome July 2, or incur the
penalty of accommodation by the mere fact of
tina. failure He was Yesterday at some point
in New York State. and by no possibility can
he reach Rome in the ten days that intervene
between this date and July 2.
Accompanying the letter to DIR. McGlynn was
one to Archbishop Corrigan from Pope Leo him
self, in which the Pontiff said:
Your letter, dated the I'd day of April last,
has reached us, in which you lament the contu
macious disobedience of priest. one of your
subjects. not only towards yourself, but also to-
wards this Apostolic See and anxiously seek to
bring before the supreme tribunal of our author
ity the false doctrines concerning the right of
property disseminated by him among the people
In newspapers and public assemblies
I'VE therefore, moved by these your words,
expressed to us. with just grief of heart and in
the conscientious discharge of duty. have accur-
ately considered the whole series of facts from
the beginning, and have especially with
commentator your frmness joined with signal
charity.
1T has been, indeed, great grief to us to
see the rebellion which has arisen against your
authority in your city, through the deeds of
some, their craftily devised Vaccinations and
the open conspiracy of factious men. And our
anguish has been all the greater, since from in
formation lately conveyed to we have learned
that there some others of the clergy imbued
with the doctrines or this priest who have not
hesitated TO adhere to him. although the clergy
generally OF the whole diocese, and the greater
and better part of the laity, gladly remained
with unchanged will in faithful obedience and
loyalty to yo-. 1t is, indeed. grateful to US, and
approved by US. that you have labored to crush.
are they sprang up, the vicious seeds of doctrines
scattered under pretext of helping the masses.
Nor is it less TO your praise that with long suf-
feriDg and patience you have not ceased, with
watchful industry to calm proud and restless
spirits, although theE have not refrained from
ISLANDERS and reproaches against you and this
Apostolic See.
1T is fitting then that you should be of good
heart and with unwavering frmness apply all
your strength to the salvation of souls. and in
defending the sanctity of faith. of discipline.
Nevertheless led by Christian faith and charity
yon will leave nothing untried that with pater-
nal benevolence you may embrace those who are
deceived by this new doctrine if they return to
wiser counsels.
I'VE. however, will never permit an injury to
your good name and dignity, much less to the
authority Of this Apostolic See, and we will not
fail to make known to you through the S. Con-
gregation of the Propaganda timely measures
for the correction of the rebellious. Meantime
we earnestly pray the God of consolation that
He will console you, venerable brother, tried by
30 many cares. and. as a pledge of His divine
favor and proof of our special affection for you,
we lovingly bestow upon you, the clergy and the
people committed to your care the apostolic
ben ediction."
RECOMMENDATION is by means confined to
the Christian churches. 1t was familiar to the
jews and to the pagan nations of antiquity. The
Greeks had three forms of accommodation
By the first the object of priestly wrath was cut
off from communication with his own family; by
the second be was forbidden to approach any
temple or to participate in any religious rite; by
the third he outlawed and his fellow-men
were forbidden to give HIM shelter food or
drink The Romans borrowed the idea from
the Greeks aud added formula of their
own, by which the person communicated
was delivered over to the Furies with horrible
curses and maledictions The jews had but
two grades Of accommodation. The milder
form was temporary exclusion from religious
rites and social intercourse for successive peri
DDS of thirty days. The greater excommunica-
lion, however, drove forth the victim who was
summed by his fellow-men denied all assistance
and forced to live in cave or the open air, and
either subsist on herbs and roots or starve
The early Christians practiced excommunica
ton by the partial or complete expulsion Of the
offender from communication with Christians;
but when the church began to be powerful it
adopted the jewish FORMS and the major excom-
% unication became practically a sentence of
from Christian land, under penalty
of starvation. With the growth of the church
IN power the effectiveness and term of the curse
grew, and in time emperors and kings fell under
the ban, and it was held that accommodation
released their subjects from all obligations of
obedience loyalty. Where the person sub
jected to accommodation was one of authority
and prominence. who sought to draw the
multitude after him. n PRAYER was added that
God should come down in judgment and cut the
seducer off.
All of the Protestant churches have some form
81 accommodation. and in countries where
such churches possessed political power. SEN
tence OF accommodation carried with it. in
some measure, n deprivation of civil rights.
Such was the case. for a long time, in England. |
put the church has been gradually deprived of
'uch power, Among the Scotch Presbyterians.
% the heyday of their power. decentralization
carried with 1t curtailment of civil rights and
IN even more intolerable social ostracism. The |
more modern sects content themselves with ex-
,elling a person convicted of heresy or immoral
ty from membership. and, though this at one |
lime put social stigma on the person expelled,
ucn expulsion mas largely lOSL It's eject unless |
he offense on which it is based is such as to |
,ring disgrace TO the accused.
In the Roman Catholic Church excommunica- |
ion is much more dreaded than it is among |
IL Is defined in encyclopedia |
ssued by the Catholic Publication Society of |
New York an ecclesiastical censure
~ which Christian is separated from
he communion Of the church. and author
ty for it is traced to 1.-The power of the
Ieys" that Is to say. the power of binding or
DOSING given by Christ to Peter and the apos-
les. The minor accommodation is defined |
Is an ecclesiastical censure. by which Chris
ian is deprived of the right to participate in
he sacraments. and it is incurred by commu-
heating with person under m ajor excommuni-
alton in any case where such communication is
lot excused. 'The major accommodation" says
he same authority, ''deprives of all ecclesias
ical communion, and is equivalent in substance
o anathema, from which it only differs in re-
,Ard to the formalities by which the latter is
urrounded; for the major accommodation
an be inflicted by mere force of law or by the
yritten sentence of judge. whereas an anath-
ma is publicly pronounced, and cum strepitu."
'hese under the major excommuuica- |